


What Could Be

by CheapEasyNoodle



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, no one asked for a fake dating au but i delivered anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 05:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15789957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheapEasyNoodle/pseuds/CheapEasyNoodle
Summary: Gaku lies and tells his dad that he's dating Ryuu, what happens next will warm your heart





	1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day outside. There were no clouds in the sky, the weather was perfect, and Gaku was absolutely looking forward to spending his day off literally anywhere except for his father’s office, but Gaku was not a lucky man. He figured that the sooner he got there, the sooner he would be able to leave, so he mustered enough energy to talk to his father and whatever silly request he had for him this time. Gaku was expecting a surprise concert, an extra interview, or another drama series.

But Gaku was not a lucky man.

He entered his father’s office and before Yaotome could so much as look up from his desk, Gaku had already begun talking.

“Make it quick; you and I both know we’d rather not be here.”

Yaotome’s face formed what could possibly pass for a smile, if he was capable of showing normal human emotions. “This will make things easier then. The faster you agree to this, the better.

“Do you remember the drama you starred in two months ago? As you know, the press is still having a field day coming up with stories about how you and the lead actress, Michiko Asato, are secretly dating.”

Gaku breathed a sigh of relief. So that’s what this is about. Finally, he could set the record straight and he could stop dealing with annoying paparazzi everywhere he went. “So, are we finally holding a press conference?”

“You’re exactly right. Next week you will be formally announcing that you  _ are  _ dating Asato-san.”

Gaku was  _ really _ not a lucky man.

“Oi, did you just hear yourself? I can’t say that! Not only am I absolutely  _ not  _ dating her, but even if I was, I’m not stupid enough to put TRIGGER’s image at risk like that. You’re out of your mind, old man.” Gaku really wished he was joking, not that his father was known for his sense of humor; he was just hoping for a miracle.

“I know what I said, and I didn’t ask for your opinion. This is a wonderful opportunity for you and for TRIGGER, seeing as that her agency has also agreed to--”

“I don’t  _ care _ who’s agreed to what,  _ I  _ don’t agree to it! Find someone else, old man, we have other ways to publicize TRIGGER.”

Yaotome’s stare didn’t waver and neither did his stance on the situation. “I don’t understand why you’re taking this so seriously; this is all part of being a public figure, isn’t it? Besides,” he laughed, “it’s not like you’re actually seeing anyone, so it doesn’t affect you.”

The small but powerful gears in Gaku’s little brain began to turn.

“What if I was dating someone?” The question escaped Gaku’s lips before he could stop himself.

Yaotome raised an eyebrow, but he assumed there would be no harm in entertaining the thought for a moment. “Do you think I’m stupid, Gaku? I  _ know  _ you’re not dating anyone. But if you must know, I would make both of you break up immediately before a scandal broke out.”

“Wait,” Gaku interrupted. “then why do you want me to admit I’m dating Asato-san? Isn’t a scandal exactly what you’re trying to avoid?”

Yaotome laughed. “Again, do you think I’m stupid? Asato is different, she’s also a public figure. When two celebrities date-”

“I’m dating a celebrity,” he said it before he could even process what he was saying.

There was a small silence between the two of them that seemed to last hours. Gaku’s serious expression didn’t change, but Yaotome knew his son well enough: he was lying. He knew Gaku was just trying to avoid the press conference, but it wouldn’t take long to catch him in this extremely obvious lie.

“Oh? Is that so?”

Gaku had done it now, and if he could really convince his father that he was dating a celebrity without his knowledge and that they both preferred to keep it out of the public eye, then he would be able to also convince him to cancel the press conference and leave Gaku alone for the time being. A wonderful plan, really. “That’s right, and we’ve done a pretty good job at keeping it a secret if even you don’t know about it.”

_ I don’t know about it because you just made it up,  _ Yaotome thought to himself. “Who are you dating, then?”

“I don’t have to tell you that.” _ That’s right, that’s right! If I’m keeping it a secret then it’s obvious I don’t want you to know! _

“You’re a terrible liar, Gaku. Just give up and do as you’re told!”

“I’m dating Ryuunosuke!”

This time, the silence was so loud it felt as if the glass windows would shatter at any second. Gaku’s expression grew more serious but deep down, he was panicking.  _ Why did I say that? I know I panicked but  _ Ryuu?  _ Of all people? Why did I involve  _ him?  _ Jesus Christ, this is the worst day of my- _

“You and...Ryuunosuke?” Yaotome murmured, interrupting Gaku’s endless stream of thoughts. Well, there was no going back now.

“That’s right. Ryuu and I have been dating for three months now.” How he was able to say that so naturally was beyond him, and he silently thanked Nikaido for all of the improv tips he had shared. “We’ve been keeping it a secret because...well you know, we’re two guys and we’re from the same group, it would cause unnecessary attention.”  _ Yeah, that was believable enough! _

“I see.” Yaotome crossed his arms and closed his eyes, deep in thought. Gaku felt like this was it, that his father would finally understand and that he would be able to spend the rest of his day off anywhere else but there.

Has anyone mentioned that Gaku was not a lucky man?

Yaotome sat up straight and then looked at his son directly in the eye. Without breaking eye contact, he picked up the phone, dialed a number, and, two seconds later, he said something that made Gaku want to jump out of the office window and be enveloped by the sweet embrace of death.

“Anesagi-san, tell Ryuunosuke I’ll take him up on his dinner invitation tonight.”

  
  
  


Gaku stood in front of Ryuu’s apartment door, and he looked as good as he felt. He was covered in sweat and his hair was a mess; the second his father had dismissed him he wasted no time in running to Ryuunosuke’s apartment to try and explain the mess he had gotten the poor man into. He could have driven there, but Tokyo traffic was a force to be reckoned with and he didn’t want to waste any precious time. He quickly checked his phone; it was barely past noon, so he had a little less than six hours to teach Ryuu how to not only lie, but to lie to  _ his boss.  _ This would only go so well.

Gaku raised his hand to knock when the door suddenly opened.

“Ah! Gaku! You scared me!” Ryuu said with a small laugh. Oh, how it pained Gaku to know he was about to ruin his friend’s day. “I was just about to go grocery shopping, but that can wait now that you’re here. What are you waiting for, come on in! This is such a happy surprise!” he smiled as he moved aside to let Gaku in.

Ryuu closed the door as Gaku walked in, and his expression must’ve been the same as it was the second he left his father’s office, because Ryuu immediately noticed something was wrong.

“Hey, are you alright Gaku?”

_ No.  _ “I’m great. How are you doing, Ryuunosuke?”

“Ohhh it’s serious, isn’t it? You only say my full name when it’s something serious.” Ryuu said as he sat down on his sofa, motioning for Gaku to do the same. Gaku sat on the chair in facing him and he wasn’t sure how he was going to break it to him.

“Ryuu... if I asked you to lie for me, would you do it?”

“Lie? I don’t know if I can, we both know that I’m not a good liar…” Of course he knew that. Everyone knew that. Ryuu was the kindest most honest person that had ever graced the earth, and Gaku was a stupid idiot for trying to take advantage of him like this. He sighed as he realized that it was over for him. He would go tell his father he lied, that he was obviously not dating Ryuu, and he’d be forced into admitting he was in a relationship with a woman he had held maybe three conversations with outside of work purposes. That was going to be his life now.

“Hey, Gaku, what happened? I can’t promise to lie for you, but maybe there’s another way I can help?” Ryuu suggested, clearly worried about his friend. God he was so nice, and with every passing second Gaku felt  _ worse. _

Gaku sighed as he explained everything concerning Asato-san and the press conference. Then he took a deep breath before admitting, “I told my dad I was in a relationship with someone in the hopes that he would drop it.”

“But Gaku, you’re not dating anyone!”

“I know.  _ I lied. _ ”

“Oh my god.”

Gaku didn’t know whether to laugh at Ryuu’s innocence or cry at the fact that things were about to go even more downhill real quick.

“Did he believe you? Does he think you’re dating someone?”

“That’s the issue,” Gaku continued explaining. “He wants to confirm that I’m dating someone, and that’s why he’s coming to visit you tonight, to confirm that I’m dating...well, you.”

Ryuu took what seemed like ten years to finally process what Gaku had told him. If the situation wasn’t so serious, Gaku would’ve laughed at how Ryuu’s cheeks and ears instantly turned pink the second he realized that Gaku had just lied to his dad about the both of them being in a relationship, but the situation was serious, and so all Gaku could do was take a mental screenshot and laugh about it later.

“B-b-but we’re not dating! Gaku!! Why did you tell him that?!” Ryuu was obviously flustered, but there was no hint of anger in his voice, just embarrassment. “I don’t know if I can tell him I’m dating you! He’s so...he’s so...he’s your  _ dad _ , Gaku! He’s  _ my boss _ !”

“I know!” Gaku yelled, before taking a deep breath to calm himself down. “I know. That’s why I’m going to call him and explain that I lied to him and you had nothing to do with it. I’m sorry I got you involved at all.”

Ryuu didn’t hesitate or regret what he said next.

“Okay. I’ll just have to do my best then, right?” he said with his usual, bright smile. “This is like being in a drama, or something. I’m not the best actor but I’ve learned a few things from Yamato-kun, so I’m sure I can make it at least half believable!”

Gaku’s mouth hung wide open. “Wait, what?”

“You’re my best friend, Gaku! You’ve done so much for me over the years; this is the least I can do for you! If this small lie means you don’t have to tell the whole world a bigger lie, then I’ll do my best. You’d do the same for me, I just know it, so please let me try.”

At this, Gaku couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “You’re an idiot; I should be the one begging you to do this for me, not the other way around.” His expression became serious before looking at Ryuu and saying, “Ryuu, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

Ryuu simply smiled at him and took his hand. “So, how long have we been dating?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i bet you thought you'd seen the last of me

Gaku had spent the last four hours going over everything with Ryuu. They practiced for every possible question that Yaotome could ask them, and Gaku reassured him that if his father asked them anything that they  _ didn’t  _ practice for, Gaku would answer for them and Ryuu could follow his lead. Once they both felt that Ryuu was prepared enough, Gaku insisted they go grocery shopping as that was Ryuu’s original plan for the day.

“Hey, this will be kinda like our first date, Gaku!” Ryuu said as they walked to the small shop nearby.

Gaku laughed. “Please don’t tell my old man that I took you grocery shopping on our first date. I’d like to think I’m more romantic than that.”

Ryuu smiled as they both headed inside. Gaku grabbed a small basket and began searching for the ingredients they needed to make the best dinner of Yaotome’s life. Ryuu was good at many things, but if Gaku had to choose what he was the best at, he would say cooking without hesitation. If it wasn’t for the fact that scandals could occur at any moment, Gaku would swear that Ryuu would at least be engaged by now.

“Oi, Ryuu, why did you invite my father to dinner in the first place?”

“Oh!” Ryuu began, face lighting up. “I always invite him on my days off! He just seems kinda lonely, you know? N-no offense to your dad or anything,” Ryuu laughed nervously. “I’m still really thankful to him for letting me join TRIGGER and getting to meet you and Tenn, and ever since I got scouted I’ve tried cooking dinner for him as way to say thanks, but he’s always busy. I got really happy when he finally accepted my offer today, even if it was only because of...  this incident.”

Gaku really,  _ really  _ wanted the earth to swallow him whole right now. The only reason his father had  _ finally  _ accepted Ryuu’s dinner offer was because of his dumb lie and Ryuu was too nice to let him know how disappointed he was.

“Gaku, I’m not disappointed.” 

Did he say that out loud?

“I’ve never had both of you over for dinner so I’m kinda excited! And also nervous, but that’s mostly because I have to convince your dad that we’re dating, but that’s okay too!”

Not once had Ryuu stopped smiling, and he didn’t hesitate at all when he said that. In that moment, Gaku was convinced that he was truly the luckiest guy in the world to have a friend like him in his life. He was going to apologize again for the situation, but before he could so much as open his mouth, Ryuu spoke up again.

“Gaku, seriously, it’s fine! Stop frowning, you look much more handsome when you smile, you know,” he joked as he playfully elbowed Gaku.

He knew he was joking, yet Gaku felt extremely happy that Ryuu had called him handsome, and suddenly his face felt kinda warm. Weird. They continued their shopping in comfortable silence and soon made their way back to Ryuu’s apartment to begin cooking.

Gaku was no amateur at cooking himself, but compared to Ryuu he felt like a five year old who was just learning how to use chopsticks. He’d seen Ryuu cook a couple of times before, but actually helping him cook was a completely different experience. He was only doing simple tasks (“Gaku, do you mind cutting these onions for me?” “Ah, Gaku, can you stir this for a bit?”) but he was so scared of messing up and letting Ryuu down. Luckily for the both of them, making dinner was easy and everything smelled as good as it looked. They began setting up the table when it hit Ryuu that Yaotome would be there at any moment.

“Ah... I’m so anxious... I really hope he believes me,” Ryuu sighed, taking off his apron.

“Hey, you’ll be okay, just do everything like we practiced,” Gaku reassured him, and Ryuu let out a nervous laugh.

“You’re right, you’re right. I’m just really happy you’re here with me, Gaku.” Ryuu said that so honestly and, again, without hesitation, that Gaku could’ve sworn he felt his heart skip a beat. But that was just his imagination. Probably. Before Gaku could remind him that  _ he  _ was the reason Ryuu was in this situation in the first place, there was a rather loud knock on the door. Great.

Ryuu took a deep breath before going to open the door. As expected, Yaotome was there and he didn’t look too happy, not that he ever looked very happy in the first place, but it made Ryuu more anxious. He quickly moved aside and invited him in, trying but failing to keep his voice even. Yaotome walked inside and, upon seeing Gaku, his expression tightened. Ryuu simply asked everyone to sit down and have dinner before the food got cold, hoping that eating would serve as a small but very much needed distraction from the tense atmosphere.

Once everyone had taken a seat at the dining table, Yaotome spoke up.

“I assume you know why I’m here, then, Ryuunosuke?”

Ryuu choked on his food, but managed to give him a small nod.  _ This is going great,  _ Gaku thought.

“I expected this kind of behavior from Gaku, because he’s always been rebellious, but I never expected  _ you _ to keep any secrets from me.” That was it. They were done for.

“Y-you didn’t ask,” Ryuu stated as he took a sip from his water to calm himself down.

“What?”

Ryuu cleared his throat and this time, he answered with more confidence. “I never told you I was dating Gaku because you never asked.”

Yaotome didn’t know how to reply to that.

Gaku quickly took the lead. “Ryuu was nervous that he wouldn’t be able to keep at a secret, so I told him that as long as no one asked him anything he had no reason to say anything. I’m glad it worked.”

If Gaku was stubborn, then Yaotome was ten times more so, and he was not going to give up that easily. “Is that so? You two aren’t fooling anyone with this, especially not me. You two aren’t even acting like a couple. You’re sitting rather far apart, don’t you think? You’re not even holding hands.”

“We’re literally eating, old man.”

Ryuu couldn’t help the small, shaky laugh that escaped him. “Sorry, President, it’s just that Gaku had said you probably weren’t a fan of PDA, and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” That technically wasn’t a lie, Gaku really  _ did  _ tell him that his dad probably wasn’t a fan of any sort of display of affection, public or otherwise, and Ryuu really  _ didn’t  _ want to make Yaotome uncomfortable. If Ryuu kept this up, they would definitely live to see another day.

“You seem nervous, Ryuunosuke.”

“A-ah do I? I’m sorry,” Ryuu said, glancing at Gaku for a split second. Gaku’s expression softened, as if to say  _ you’re doing your best, keep going,  _ and Ryuu smiled at him before returning his attention towards the president. “It’s not everyday I tell my boss that I’m d-dating his son, so…” he mumbled, rubbing his neck sheepishly while doing so.

“Why didn’t you say you were dating Gaku earlier? I  _ am  _ his father, don’t you think I would like to know these things, regardless of if I asked you or not?” If he could get Ryuu to crack, it would all be over for Gaku, and Gaku knew it. He was starting to get nervous as well; out of all the possible questions that they practiced for, Gaku had forgotten to prepare Ryuu for the most obvious one, and surely, they were done for.

Ryuu’s ears began to turn red as he answered, “I didn’t want you to break us up.”

Even Gaku wasn’t expecting that answer.

“We’ve been good at keeping it a secret from the press right? A-and TRIGGER is doing really well regardless so... please don’t break us up, President.”

The face he made could move oceans, and it was enough to at least soften Yaotome’s heart to back off for the time being. He still didn’t believe that they were dating, but he knew better than to push TRIGGER’s strongest member past his limit. He would just have to get it out of Gaku another time.

“Did Gaku tell you about the press conference we had scheduled?”

“ _ You _ scheduled it, not me. And yes, I did tell him, and he wasn’t ha-”

“I want to hear it from him, Gaku,” Yaotome interrupted, causing Gaku to roll his eyes.

“Huh? What do you want to hear from me, President?” Ryuu asked innocently, and he truly was innocent. Gaku thought it was kind of endearing.

“How do you feel about the press conference?”

“Oh? Oh! With Asato-san, right? I... I really don’t think it’s a good idea, President, and that’s not because I’m dating Gaku! I just think that fans wouldn’t take it too well, especially if they found out Gaku, and by extension TRIGGER, was lying to them. They would feel used, and I don’t want to make any of my fans unhappy. I’m sure Tenn would feel the same if you asked him.” Ryuu spoke so confidently that it struck a chord with both of them.  _ That’s right _ , Gaku thought to himself,  _ Ryuu always puts his fans first.  _ Ryuu’s genuine love and dedication towards TRIGGER and their fans is something that Gaku always admired about him, and he was hoping that his father could understand that.

Luckily for both of them, that seemed to be the case. Yaotome gave some thought to what Ryuu said and he hated to admit it, but Ryuu was right. The press would be following Gaku and Asato-san more closely than before, and if they found out that Gaku had been lying, it would make everyone in TRIGGER look bad, causing a dramatic decrease in profits. Yaotome had worked far too long and too hard to get TRIGGER to where they were now, and he knew better than anyone how much his company could lose if their image were to be tainted in any way.

Yaotome took in a small, defeated breath before finally speaking. “I will make sure Anesagi-san denies all rumors of Gaku and Asato-san’s relationship, and I’ll have her talk to her team to guarantee they do the same.” Without saying anything else, he got up and headed towards the door. Ryuu quickly got up and followed him.

“Thank you for coming to dinner, President, I was really happy you finally accepted my offer!” he smiled as he opened the door.

“No, thank you for inviting me, dinner was delicious,” he murmured. “Please, take care of Gaku.” He left immediately after that.

Ryuu closed the door and let out a long breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Gaku had made his way towards his friend and immediately enveloped him in a warm hug.

“Gaku, we did it! It worked!” Ryuu cheered as he happily returned Gaku’s embrace.

“Are you dumb?  _ You  _ did it, it’s all thanks to you!”

“I couldn’t have done it without your help! Give yourself some credit!” Ryuu laughed, and Gaku ended up laughing with him.

Once they had settled down, they began cleaning up the dinner table. Gaku offered to wash the dishes while Ryuu put away the leftovers. They weren’t talking, but it was a comfortable silence, and Gaku was reminded again just how blessed he was to have someone like Ryuu in his life.

Putting the last of the plates to dry, he suddenly spoke up. “Ryuu, I’m really happy that you’re my friend.”

Ryuu’s face began heating up. “Hey, Gaku, you can’t say things like that so suddenly!” he laughed, trying to calm himself down. “But, I understand how you feel, I’m really lucky that I met you and Tenn, you guys are my best friends!”

Gaku smiled as he dried his hands. “Well, I think I’ve taken advantage of your kindness for too long, I should get going now.”

“Oh, please, Gaku, I know you’d never take advantage of me! Do you need a ride home?”

“Nah, but thank you for offering. Oh, I guess I’ve never said this, but your acting skills are incredible.”

“You think so? It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be! Having you around really put me at ease, Gaku,” he said, a warm smile forming on his face. “It always does; thank you.”

Gaku’s face began heating up and before he could tell Ryuu to not say embarrassing things without warning, Ryuu’s face suddenly drained in color.

“Oh no! Gaku! We’re forgetting something!”

Gaku raised an eyebrow at him. “Hm? What is it?”

Ryuu’s eyes widened in fear as he grabbed Gaku’s shoulders. “What if he asks Tenn?!”

_ Shit. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW I FORGOT TO UPDATE THIS HUH!! anyway THANK U SO MUCH FOR ALL UR LOVELY COMMENTS i reread them constantly and it gave me the push i needed to update this. i guess i was afraid that i'd be letting u guys down BUT even if that's the case, i had fun writing this and i hope u guys have fun reading this! i'm not sure when the next chapter will be up bc of school and work and life in general but thank u guys soooo much for being so nice n patient i hope u all get ssrs of ur best boys in ur next pulls >:)

**Author's Note:**

> HI HI thank you for reading this! gakuryuu is such a cute pairing and i hope i'm able to do them justice! special thanks to elio as always for proofreading for me, and extra special thanks to anyone who enjoyed it! i'm excited to keep writing this so i hope to do a good job :D


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